Reliance Honours Pledge after Officers Save Woman

Reliance Custodial Services has honoured its pledge to help start CPR classes in an Aberdeenshire village where two of its officers used the technique to save a local woman’s life.

The two officers, Chris Wolff and Andrea Hall an engaged couple were off duty and shopping for flowers for their wedding when they spotted a woman lying by the roadside in Torphins, Kincardineshire.

They stopped to help and applied mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and heart massage for 20 minutes, keeping mother of two Mrs Hilary Gray alive after she suffered a massive cardiac arrest, until a local GP and the ambulance arrived.

Mrs Gray who is making a good recovery called for CPR to be taught in schools and workplaces, and Chris and Andrea have since presented the villagers of Torphins with a ‘Little Annie’ resuscitation doll on behalf of Reliance to help make CPR classes available for the entire population of 2,000 people.

Denise McGuigan Operations Director Scotland for Reliance presented official commendations to the two officers when they met Mrs Gray for the first time last month.

Now Julian Nicholls, Chairman of Reliance Secure Task Management has presented Chris and Andrea with an official plaque at the company’s Bristol HQ.

Mr Nicholls said: “It is always a pleasure to recognise outstanding conduct by members of our staff, and the actions of these two officers certainly comes into that category.

“They behaved in an exemplary fashion, both in deciding to stop to see if they could help, then in applying their CPR skills in such a professional and competent manner.

“They thoroughly deserve to be honoured in this way.”

Simon Marshall, Director of Operations for Reliance Secure Task Management said: “Reliance is delighted to honour its commitment to help Mrs Gray start CPR classes in her home village.

“It was fortunate that Chris and Andrea happened to be passing and could utilise the CPR skills that they learned as part of their Reliance training to save Mrs Gray. ’’

“But not everyone is so lucky and it is vital as many people as possible learn these techniques.”

Mrs McGuigan added: “Teaching our staff resuscitation skills is an important part of ensuring we meet our duty of care to prisoners and it’s fantastic that they were available when Mrs Gray so desperately needed them.

“The entire company is really proud of the way Chris and Andrea put their training to such good use.”

Andrea said: “That was the first time either Chris or I had to use the techniques we learned in training in real life. Other people who had stopped were unsure how to assist’’

The local GP Dr Neil Campbell said: “There’s real enthusiasm locally to learn CPR techniques, because people are aware of how important this was for Hilary.

“But you need some equipment, like Little Annie resuscitation dolls to teach the techniques effectively.

“So Reliance’s contribution is really welcome, especially since Mrs Gray and her husband Kevin have also given us a training doll.

Mrs Gray said: “I am really pleased the classes are up and running.

“I would not be here today if Chris and Andrea hadn’t been in the right place at the right time with the skills to help.

“We need as many people as possible to know what to do because I had no warning of the cardiac arrest I suffered, and that could happen to anyone.”

Picture shows from Left to Right Chris Wolff, Julian Nicholls and Andrea Hall after the presentastion ceremony

End

Note to Editors: 1. Reliance employs over 1,300 people in Scotland. Reliance Custodial Services discharges the prisoner escort contract on behalf of the Scottish Government, transferring over 16,000 prisoners a month between prisons, police custody suites and the courts.